NCIS: Red Herrings
by Soph xox
Summary: After a suspicious email arrives at NCIS headquaters, Special Agent DiNozzo is sent to investigate, but when things go wrong, and a hoax is uncovered.....
1. Chapter 1

Hi guys, Ive only written star wars stuff before this and I wrote this on impulse and I realize its reeeeally not very good, I only wanted to do the characters justice, because they are great characters, they make the show, Im not sure how Ive done in this first, short, chapter, but I hope its ok, there will be no slash or romance or whatever it'll be as true to the show as I can make it. Just good old friendship between the lot, and grinding nerves aswell hehe.

Coz I live in England, using the words 'elevator' and 'cell' feel weird, so if Ive written anything weird like 'lift' or 'mobile' then please say! hehe

Go easy on me Im a huuuge fan on NCIS and I just wanted to try this Fancfic NCIS out! Pleas R/R!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except the occasional new character, Manny, and some others in later chapters, none of the characters from the show belong to me, as they belong the D.P Belisario. I make no money from this either.

* * *

"Now close your eyes Manny I can _feeeeeeel _your tension."

Kate simply shook her head and occupied herself with some long undated report files that symbolized the end of yet another long finished case. _'Paper work, there's always paper work' _she inwardly mumbled, '_Well done Kate, great job, oh but wait, here's your paperwork.'_ She slammed the final neatly clipped folders back onto her paper tray, after all, why do today what you can do tomorrow, she thought.

"What have we already talked about Manny?"

"Right yes, tension, go it sir." The younger, more insecure, and totally unfortunate delivery boy stammered. Totally unfair, Kate pondered, for all Tony knew, that boy could have some serious internal issues, but since when had minor technicalities such as these swayed Special agent Anthony DiNozzo. Tony leant forward and clasped his hands heavily against the younger man's slumped shoulders, leaning in as if to relay some secret, of highest priority, and top confidentiality. This also being perceived as such by the gullible boy before him.

"Listen and listen well my man, you shall now go into that elevator…"

"Elevator right-"

"And hit that basement button…." Tony interrupted.

"Basement..ri-"

"Jump on that motorbike from whence you came and keep these positive thoughts in mind buddy!" With a shove, Tony sent the kid veering towards the already parting elevator doors, grinning madly as he went.

"Thanks Tony, you have no idea how much your guidance helps!" He stepped into the awaiting device and hit the bottom switch, Tony spun back round with a intense glare, to the higher educated eye, a glare of complete fake and mocking, but the lowly delivery boy, one of passion and feeling.

"I have a very good idea Manny, that is why…" He broke off, and feigned an intensely regal bow, Kate could not help herself but to laugh, and a sideways death-impending stare from her colleague quickly silenced her, but not even stemming her hammering amusement, a feeling deeply mixed with pity. Poor Manny, once DiNozzo became your 'buddy', it was the quicker way to a much shorter, much less meaningful life.

"That is why people seem to find such peace of mind with me." The boy, Manny, nodded with delighted vigour, and desperately tried to yell out something indistinguishable in response, the closing elevator doors preventing him. Tony, seemingly satisfied with himself, stretched, cracking his knuckles with much heart-felt bravado. A bravado of which if Kate had had her own way, would be solidly beaten out of him with a blunted stick. The young agent slung his bag back over his shoulder, and paced abruptly toward his desk, throwing Kate the most taunting grin he could muster.

"Morning Kate."

"What's wrong with you!" Whatever was intended by the question, it certainly wasn't driving about his welfare.

"Ah c'mon!" Tony threw his bag beneath his chair, hit a few keys on his computer, and flopping down upon the enticingly swivel-round chair.

"He knows I'm only screwin' around."

"No, Tony, the kid thinks you're his councillor." Bad move, Kate thought, and the idea of an increasingly startling parallel of her and Tony's relationship being somewhat like an on-going game of battleship, once more flashed up in her mind. Tony grinned.

"Not a bad choice though really." Kate could do nothing but scoff.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tony feigned a look of angered hurt. Kate shook her head, and determinedly fixated her gaze upon her blank computer screen, desperate to look elsewhere occupied.

"It means, that if there was a selfless, caring bone in your body, I'd….."

"Eat your hat?" Kate simply looked at him.

"Wouldn't want you to choke though would we?"

"I don't believe you sometimes DiNozzo, I really don't." Tony laughed and playfully tossed a bit of scrunched paper in Kate's direction.

"Aw Kate, you know I only want to make the world a better place." Kate couldn't help but smile back, returning the piece of paper with a flick of her wrist.

"That's why I'm grateful that I work for Gibbs, not you." Tony threw his head back at the remark, clenching his fists slightly, Kate grinned with mock evil at her co-worker, watching him as he tried to retaliate, interrupted cruelly by the beckoning of an email. Tony released a breath, eyes still locked onto Kate's, before ruefully casting his eyes towards the computer screen, ferociously smacking keys with each strike. He rubbed his jaw with his spare hand as he scrolled through the email, Kate watched with curiosity as his face's previous expression changed from sullen annoyance to downright confusion.

"What's up?"

"It's Gibbs." It sounded more like a question than an answer.

"Gibbs knows how to email?" Kate was genuinely surprised, she stood from her chair, and made her way to Tony's desk, whatever past grievances between the pair instantly forgotten as she read from over his Tony's shoulder.

Body at 52 Jefferson st.

Apparent asphyxiation, COD to be confirmed once body is returned to NCIS HQ.

Assistance required for scene processing.

AKA.

Get your ass down here pronto!

.Gibbs.

Kate's brow furrowed in concentration as she read, once she finished, she nodded curtly, and Tony closed the file.

"Must have had a bitch with his cell again."

"Either that or he's finally learnt how to use the organizer." Kate remarked as she straightened up.

"That's a bit of a tough call, even for Gibbs." Kate laughed.

"Oh, I'd love for him to hear you say that."

Tony chuckled with a casual flare of sarcasm. Then sitting in silence for a few moments, seemingly in a different world. Kate waved a hand before of his face.

"Better not keep the man waiting DiNozzo."

The special agent rolled his eyes, and in one swift movement jumped to his feet, grabbing and loading hispistol while pulling on his NCIS labelled jacket at the same time. He sighed dramatically, saluted Kate, who dismissed his constant bursts of child-like humour with a wave of her hand.

"Oh, Kate."

"Yeah Tony?"

"Say hi to Probie for me when he gets in ok?" Tony hit the switch for the elevator, memories of his 'session' with Manny the delivery kid flooding back to him in gleeful recollection, as Kate eyed him suspiciously.

"What have you done Tony?"

Tony jumped inside the elevator, shaking his head in an almost sorrowful gesture.

"I'm hurt that you feel I'd have purposefully maimed our young probie?"

"He'll need therapy if he carries on working with you Tony."

The doors began to close.

"Then he'll know who to talk to."

He did not 'quite' heardthe insults that were thrust at him from justbeyond the elevator doors. He only heard his own laughter.


	2. Chapter 2

This is a little longer thankfully, and I'm sorry if the whole climax of this chapter seems a little cheesy it was too late to think of anything cool, original, and interesting :P LOL

Oh well, I hope you guys like it, and thanx sooooo much to those of you who reviewed, I'd really like to hear more comments on this piece as it makes me feel looooooooooved...ahem...hehe!

Well, I said this last chappie, I dont own it yaddi yaddi yadda! I know this kinda story line has been tried and tested before, but I'd like to do it in a different way, trying to get the characters to re-act in the way I think they'd re-act as opposed to how I'd_ like_ them to re-act. There is a massive difference, and Ive seen so many authors write shippers and slashy things, which, hats off to creative license, doesn't really work for me, though I realize tons of you guys love that stuff, I love NCIS the way it is, I wanna do it justice (weeps!) hahah!

Anyway, I hope you like it, and please...for the love of GOD! R/R! hehe, I don't really like unneccessary flames, constructive advice is always welcome though pallos!

Sophie xox

* * *

It was not often that Tony was asked to investigate a crime scene alone with his boss, maybe this was one of Gibbs' tests, or his growing confidence in the senior field agent, or maybe he was just screwing with him, either way, processing, was definitely not a job made for two. This would, Tony thought as he pushed open the door of the war-torn Sedan, definitely take the best part of the day. Tony stood on a small, empty street lined by tall, shaded paper trees. Each house looked almost identical to the other, small, whitewashed clapperboard, with robustly decorated yards, the occasional difference being the select basketball hoop attached to a garage or above a back door. It was eerily quiet, not even a dog yapped, it was a blisteringly hot day, with not the smallest hint of a breeze to chill down the heat-hazed street. The young agent tugged off his thick NCIS jacket, silently cursing how un climate friendly their customary uniform was. He looked to his left, quickly spotting the one house he was meant to be investigating, no different from any of its numerous neighbours, gold, newly polished numbers of '5' and '2' gleamed from the front porch. '_yup.'_ DiNozzo thought, '_this is it.'_ He made his way towards it, making short mental notes to himself regarding his surroundings, the houses on the streets, the cars parked outside, number plates, all basic preliminary procedure in this line of investigative work. Only one thing now leapt out at Tony, the only thing that screamed 'odd' in as high a pitch as possible. Where the hell was the security tape, the cop cars, the fat gumshoe leaning against his gumshoe-mobile waiting to inform the NCIS agent of the details for this particular crime scene. There was no one, no evidence that a crime had been committed here, no evidence of even a disturbance. With a wary caution, DiNozzo approached the waist height wall that surrounded the house, like everything else, it had been painted shock white, this colour now was starting to really impress the whole '1940's-style-retirees-village' genre upon Tony, but like many areas in this war vet. Part of Washington state, it was hardly unusual. Before he even realized what he was doing, Tony reached out a curious hand to push open the adjoining gate, separating the two sides of the wall, which was also, surprise; surprise, white. He moved forward, through the neatly trimmed lawn, feeling oddly uneasy at walking straight through someone's obvious pride and joy, '_damn!'_ he thought _'How the hell am I gonna do this?'_

There was no one about, not outside at least, he had now reached the porch, no doubt contaminating heaps of trace evidence, DiNozzo pulled on a clean pair of latex gloves, wanting to at least _look_ like he was on top of everything, andas he hit the doorbell, an image of how idiotic he must look, ringing on the door of a dead man, crossed his mind. There was no answer, which funnily enough, didn't hold Tony in surprise, something was off, very much so. Absently, he reached for his cell, bringing Gibbs up on the memory before he paused mid-motion. No, he would sort through this himself, he would not make himself look like a clumsy fool in front of his boss at least when he could consciously avoid it, no, he would check everything else first, maybecall Kate to check whether he'd been given the wrong address, anyway, it may have been a certain death wish to try andcontact Gibbs, he may have been clearing the scene, could have given away his boss'position. Tony visibly winced, if that was the case, he would pay dearly for it later. His frantic train of thought was derailed with a rude abruptness as a sharp click sounded from behind him. Any cop, marine, soldier, or agent knew that kind of sound. Instinctively, and very slowly, DiNozzo began to reach for his gun, drawing it and spinning to meet his would-be aggressor in lightening fast speed. He heard a cry, his own, the familiarity of the words 'NCIS drop your weapon!' echoing down the road. He waved his weapon frantically, nothing, what the? Left, right, then up, then he suddenly pointed his weapon downward, forefinger ready on the trigger, ready to fire immediately when the situation arose. It didn't, he lowered the pistol, shaking his head and gaping in incredulity and frustration. Before him, sat a large, well-fed, tabby cat, shifting uncomfortably and pawing deftly at a snapped twig beside it, it causally glanced up at the gawping NCIS agent, no doubt agreeing with DiNozzo's unvoiced opinion of his own cow-boyish stupidity. The agent now couldn't help but laugh, the sudden sound startling the animal. Tony made a hissing sound, and flicked in the cat's direction with his gun.

"Tsst Tsst get outta here!" He watched it scram. "Man I hate felines, they're just like women." The parallel incited more bouts of laughter, before he turned back to strike the door bell repeatedly, for several minutes.

Distracted, unaware, the young field agent did not sense the hooded figure behind him.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

"Boss?"

"Kate."

Former gunnery sergeant and NCIS team leader Jethro Gibbs, accepted the shellshocked question as if a casual greeting. Stammering, Kate stood and hovered over her boss' desk, he was calmly sipping his typically strong smelling Starbucks brew, while fingering through the mountain of unheeded paper work that was piling up fast upon his overused, over cluttered desk, Kate realized, that if she had felt overworked by her much smaller paper made mountain, Gibbs's must have been a tenth fold worse. Kate was reminded instantly of his presence when he objected to her apparent 'insensitive' intrusion of his quality coffee time.

"Something bothering you Agent Todd." By the tone of his voice, he was certainly not sharing a tender moment.

"Um….not really, just.." she broke off into incomprehensive mumbles.

"Today! Kate."

"Yeah sorry boss, it's just.." She couldn't help but let a smile creep onto her soft features, imagining a presumably lost Tony milling through some street corner.

"Where's Tony?"

Gibbs blinked.

"I don't know."

Kate was taken aback slightly, it wasn't _unlike_ Gibbs to play some sort of evil yet cunningly subtle practical joke on his agents, but this seemed a little strange.

"You don't know?" Gibbs slammed down his coffee meeting Kate's eyes not bothering to shield his increasing annoyance.

"Yeah, Kate I don't know, how the hell should I know I've only just got in." Kate said nothing. "You saw me." Gibbs added a little more gently, as if this would somehow clear everything.

"But, the email..."

Gibbs, stopped pretending to be interested in the files. He looked down at the steaming coffee momentarily, squinting in confusion.

"What email?"

"The email Tony received,informing him to meet you at a crime scene." Gibbs shook his head, Kate knew that this was now well beyond a joke of Gibbs' calibre.

"Kate, I ever sent Tony any email." Kate's eyes widened, well where the hell was Tony then? What had he run off to? She barely even heard as her boss quickly added that he could barely turn his computer on let alone send an email.

"That's what I said." She muttered.

"Whuh?"

"Oh. Nothing." Gibbs posture indicated worry, an emotion seldom if ever associated with the collected yet quietly friendly man.

"Show me the email."

Kate nodded and hurried towards Tony's desk, quickly re-opening the email and forwarding it to Gibbs's address.

"Got it?" A moment of concentrated silence followed.

"Got it."

Kate returned to Gibbs's desk, stopping herself abruptly before committing the severe felony of stepping behind her boss' desk. She watched intently as Gibbs scanned the screen with keen eyes.

"That's my address."

"I know."

"This is all wrong, something's screwed up and DiNozzo's in the middle." Gibbs virtually leapt from his seat.

"What do you mean boss?" Kate was pause for words as Gibbs scrambled for his cell, gun, and casing.

"I mean Kate..." The agent breathed, as he desperately shoved the gun into his belt and tucked it discreetly behind his jacket. "ThatI've got to get to that address, now, and find out what the hell this is."

"What do I do."

"You stay here, and keep trying Tony's cell, if you hear anything, call me." He reached the elevator, much the same as Tony had done only an hour or so before.

"Yes boss." Kate replied, already picking up the reciever, Gibbs stepped inside the machine, suddenly lunging his arm between the doors topreventthem fromclosing as he remembered something.

"Oh and Kate!"

"Yes Boss."

"Send that email to Abby, get her to check it out."

"Should I send for Mcgee?"

"We don't know if there's any reason to yet, if my gut feeling is right, andwe're in trouble, I'll let you know, and you'll call probie."

"Yes boss. Good luck."

Gibbs removed his arm and watched the doors closed.

"Luck has nothing to do with it Kate."

But for once, he hoped he was mistaken.


	3. Authors note

Hi guys! Thanx for all the great reviews, I got one that concerned me though and I've realized that I may have made a bit of a typo.

Ok, when Gibbs says to Kate while looking at the email 'That's my address' he was referring to the email address, not what I made it to look like, his home address. So It wasn't Gibbs's place that Tony was sent to investigate, just a random address I made up!

Sorry bout the misconception!

Keep reviewing!

Luv Sophie xox

(P.S. hoping to get chap.3 up tonight!)


	4. Chapter 3

Well, you asked for it, here's chapter 3, very short, not very progressive, but hey, I was tired, and if I didnt do some tonight, I knew I'd just forget every day after that! Im so forgetful :P

Oh well, I hope you like it, and thanx for all the great reviews! I love reading you thoughts,

**Shriek1**: Sorry to get your hopes up like that:( This one really IS chapter 3! HONEST!

Keep sending your reviews!

Sophie xox

* * *

Music, soft, quiet, almost distant, as if he was listening through the ears of another, or maybe in a dream. So recognisable, the kind of sound that nauseated him but yet gave him the cosy, distinct feeling of wanting to laugh. Oh if only Ducky was with him now, he could probably name the piece, and maybe name each an every member of the original Orchestra. However, these fragile and too few moments of peace for Tony were only too short, as his reality began to beckon with it's slow, familiar pull. He rolled over onto his side, keeping his eyes firmly shut, at least he knew now that the music he could hear was no dream, as it's lively melody continued to float about the small chamber in which Tony was all too aware he lay. Something in his side grated audibly as he moved, sending a bolt of pain up his side back and neck. Making a comical sound from his quick intake of breath, he quickly relieved the pain in his side by rolling carefully on to his back again.

"Great." He muttered, using his most morbid tone.

"Did I wake you my friend?" Despite the pain caused by the action, Tony almost leapt into a sitting position.

"Who are you?" The cell was dark, DiNozzo could barely even see his own hand before him, the man who sat with him, was no more visible than bat in a cave.

At least until it flew at you, Tony thought humourlessly.

"You like Tchaikovsky?"

Tony shrugged.

"I'm not much of a classical man."

Someone stood, and crossed the room, it was so dark, it was a horrible feeling, the vulnerability of being so sightless, disadvantaged. Not good. Not good at all.

"I didn't think so." Tony couldn't quite place the accent, his first thought was maybe English, but the occasional accent on the vowels made him sound much more European, maybe even southern American.

"You want an answer to your question?"

"I'd be grateful." No point in trying _not_ to be sarcastic, Tony thought.

"My name is Mirandos, Hoolio Mirandos." Tony quirked an eyebrow, was he supposed to recognise the name? Well, he certainly wasn't of American descent with a name like that.

"You have heard the name before agent DiNozzo?"

"Should I have?" Laughter, eerily corny in such dank and dreary scenery.

"Maybe you'd better recognize me as R5629. Tony gave a humourless laugh.

"I was never any good with numbers."

"It's a case number." Mirandos interjected quickly. DiNozzo was unsure as to whether he was expected to reply to this statement, either way, it wasn't a number nor a name that jangled any bells in his brain.

"The Dance of the flutes."

"What?" Tony couldn't put a face on the guy enough to imagine an annoyed expression.

"The Dance of the flutes, Tschaikovsky's The Nutcracker." Tony nodded, despite the fact the gesture was invisible, he didn't bother to vocalize it.

"Your point?"

"Should there be a point to music?"

"There's a point to everything."

"Well, you _are_ an NCIS agent." under different circumstances, Tony would have loudly voiced the statement of _'What the hell do you mean by that?' _But somehow it did not seem appropriate.

"You're being very calm about this DiNozzo."

"Years of law enforcement does that."

"You are not curious as to how I know so much, your name, for example, your previous jobs, where you are from?"

"Not really."

The man made a tittering sound.

"You don't do my self-esteem any good you know, I happen to know very much about, well, all of you.

"Why? How_could_ you know?"

"I make it my business to know."

Mirandos was interrupted by a bleeping from his pocket. Angered, he snatched the offending object and spoke gruffly into it, in some form of, as Tony could only guess, Spanish. The conversation was brief, and reminded him of the phone conversations Gibbs would hold with anybody. For a moment, Tony's mind drifted into wondering upon whether Gibbs had ever had anyone hang up on _him_ before, when the snap close of Mirandos' phone awoke him to the present.

"I'm afraid I'll have to end our little talk here Special agent DiNozzo."

"That's just too bad." Tony gasped out loud when a hand caught him roughly round the shirt neck, hauling him several inches above the ground.

"Smarminess against authority is considered a felony where I come from!" The voice was dark, threatening, anddespite the fire in his side Tony managed to choke a few embittered words in response.

"I wasn't aware we had a hierarchy."

He was abruptly thrown down, footsteps, inside and outside of the cell. A door opened, throwing a long thin beam of light in DiNozzo's direction, yet throwing his captor into ever-increasing shadow. To Tony's dismay, he realized that Mirandos was no longer alone.

"We'll get to know each other a little better no doubt, but I always believe that so much bonding between captor and captive takes place in the absence of one, and the encouragement, of an outside party?" One of the two equally shadowed figures behind Hoolio Mirandos laughed mockingly, Tony swallowed, he could easily take on one of them, and maybe have fun with it, but two of them, he wasn't so sure, especially with what could easily have been a crushed rib marking his left side, it wasn't a fair match to say the least.

"I'm sure you three will get on wonderfully." Tony's breathing increased, he wanted to leap up and throttle the arrogant bastard where he stood, but an unknown entity held him back, common sense maybe?

"I'm sure we will."

The words were choked with anger, where was Gibbs when you needed him? Where was his gun when he needed it? The three by the doorway shared a few select and momentary words, before Mirandos took his leave. The door was shut behind him, and Anthony DiNozzo braced himself as he heard heavy footsteps draw towards him.


End file.
